Dr. Pyro wrote:If you insist. It was August, 1984 and me and a buddy were fishing (which has nothing to do with actually catching fish) up above Lake Almanor, near the town of Chester, CA. We could hear this boom-boom-boom but thought they were blasting the roads prior to paving. We were on a granite outcasting in, for want of a better word, like a volcano in the sense that if you look up from the lake all you can see is the top of the mountain all around you. All of the sudden black clouds blew in and the temperture dropped about 30 degrees in a moment; similar to opening a freezer door. Then it happened. Lightning strikes every couple of seconds and we see dozens of people running like hell away from the lake. It was hailing and raining and after trying to "hide" from the weather under a small granite overhang, we started running down what was just moments ago a nice path but had turned into a rushing river. All of the sudden there was a deafening BOOM! and I get hit by the bolt. Imagine the brightest light you've ever seen exploding inside of your brain. It was as if I had been hit in the back with a 4X4, all of the air was sucked out of my lungs and it flung me maybe 20 feet. I hit this ground, which really was mostly granite and dirt, and my buddy turned around and yelled, "JIM!" I couldn't respond. He came and literally had to pry my fingers out of the granite and together we made it back to the truck, leaving our fishing gear and beer behind. I had hundreds of small cuts, maybe three inches long, all over my body. But for the most part I was fine. Turns out lightning has the main bolt (which would have cut me in two) and "fingers" along side. That's what got me. We hightailed it the hell out of there and didn't stop until we got to Chico. Turned out the same storm a short while later killed four climbers on El Capitan in Yosemite from lightning. Not the most pleasant day I've ever had. Thankfully we had more beer in the truck.

That might be the best death-defying tale I've ever heard.

(Although I am still accepting applications.)

I arrive at this judgment through a complicated equation involving 1) probability of fiery death 2) actual injuries incurred, by contrast 3) luck experienced 4) proximity of witnesses 5) descriptiveness; ease of visuals 6) more beer in the truck.

*** 2016 Survival Guide ***"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger

Dr. Pyro wrote:If you insist. It was August, 1984 and me and a buddy were fishing (which has nothing to do with actually catching fish) up above Lake Almanor, near the town of Chester, CA. We could hear this boom-boom-boom but thought they were blasting the roads prior to paving. We were on a granite outcasting in, for want of a better word, like a volcano in the sense that if you look up from the lake all you can see is the top of the mountain all around you. All of the sudden black clouds blew in and the temperture dropped about 30 degrees in a moment; similar to opening a freezer door. Then it happened. Lightning strikes every couple of seconds and we see dozens of people running like hell away from the lake. It was hailing and raining and after trying to "hide" from the weather under a small granite overhang, we started running down what was just moments ago a nice path but had turned into a rushing river. All of the sudden there was a deafening BOOM! and I get hit by the bolt. Imagine the brightest light you've ever seen exploding inside of your brain. It was as if I had been hit in the back with a 4X4, all of the air was sucked out of my lungs and it flung me maybe 20 feet. I hit this ground, which really was mostly granite and dirt, and my buddy turned around and yelled, "JIM!" I couldn't respond. He came and literally had to pry my fingers out of the granite and together we made it back to the truck, leaving our fishing gear and beer behind. I had hundreds of small cuts, maybe three inches long, all over my body. But for the most part I was fine. Turns out lightning has the main bolt (which would have cut me in two) and "fingers" along side. That's what got me. We hightailed it the hell out of there and didn't stop until we got to Chico. Turned out the same storm a short while later killed four climbers on El Capitan in Yosemite from lightning. Not the most pleasant day I've ever had. Thankfully we had more beer in the truck.

That might be the best death-defying tale I've ever heard.

(Although I am still accepting applications.)

I arrive at this judgment through a complicated equation involving 1) probability of fiery death 2) actual injuries incurred, by contrast 3) luck experienced 4) proximity of witnesses 5) descriptiveness; ease of visuals 6) more beer in the truck.

if this is going to be a contest, I'll have to go back and dig up non present occasions and events of my "reckless" youth.

nothing I have comes close to Doc's close encounter on the counts Savannah mentioned. A few close encounters, being blown up, broken accelerator cables, 3.5 tonnes of glass missing me by virtue of me getting under the truck. oh and of course actually death on the operating table. But in my humble opinion getting hit by lightening then actually having beer after, can't top that.

FREE THE SHERPASBurners with torches is right and natural and just.-fishy.CATCH AND RELEASE.

My Brother and I were on our way to the Casino for some Poker. I was driving his POS '89 Dakota, maybe doin the posted speed of 45mph, Maybe. 5 lanes, two south two north, one center turning lane. We are in the left lane, Lincoln Navigator makes a U-Turn from the Shoulder, after what he assumed was the last of a pack of cars, right into our path with maybe 15 feet. McSlamsville!! WOW! I punched the dashboard with both hands and shins. I thought the car was smoking cause i'd never been in an Airbag deployment before so I told my brother go go get out of the car, ................"i can't"................, just before the collision he had put his foot up on the dashboard. Which as awful as that already sounds, it prolly saved his life. He slammed into his knee with his chest, cracked his sternum, bad belt bite, and he was sure he was dying when i told him to move out of the car. There are no passenger airbags in an '89 Dakota, his knee kept him from crushing his skull into the windshield. Needless to say w didn't make it to the casino. But my brother got money, for not such a piece of shit truck, and medical damages. I too received a very nice settlement from the insurer. MUCH more than I will ever win playing poker in one night. I was happy. Man was the driver of the Lincoln sure surprised.

Let us not rail about justice as long as we have arms and the freedom to use them- Duke Leto Atreides

AntiM wrote:Although the morphine drip is nice, it has no Holy Crap! factor.

I had some really creepy morphium dreams. Well, two. and let's face it, you had to be there to find them creepy. Part of one of them was inspired by the colors of Tyrolian houses. Scary dreams only an Alpine nerd could fear.And the other time I was on morphium I weaned myself off in a day because of the itch. I had an incision in my abdomen--which will give you an idea of how horrible the itch was...

I really don't get much of anything on the Savannah Index.

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri